A popular accessory for automotive vehicles is a bug screen which is placed over the grill of the car to protect the grill and radiator from bugs and other debris. Another accessory is a winter screen or guard which is placed over the grill during cold weather such that the engine compartment is maintained at a warmer temperature. Such bug screens and winter screens are often used in conjunction with a bug shield, which is mounted on the hood of the car to deflect bugs and other debris away from the windshield when the vehicle is traveling.
The bug screen or winter screen has female snap members along the upper edge which are customarily snapped to male snap members which have been bolted through the channel and shield member of the bug shield. The lower edge of the screens are typically secured to the bumper of the vehicle by elastic cords or the like.
This conventional attachment of the screen to the bug shield requires that a hole be drilled through the channel of the bug shield and through the shield member which extends into the channel for support thereby. Such holes weaken the shield member and enhance the propogation of cracks therein. Also, such holes deface the bug shield and are unsightly when the screen is not attached thereto.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is an improved means for attaching a bug screen or winter screen to a bug shield.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an attachment means for securing a screen to a bug shield without penetrating the channel or shield member of the bug shield.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an attachment means for securing a bug screen or winter screen to a bug shield without defacing the bug shield.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of attachment means for attaching a screen to a bug shield which is adjustable, and which is quick and easy to install.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the present invention.